The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English means “little.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that is based on contemporary depictions and refers to the presumed baldness of the top of his head. The description originates from the 2nd-century apocryphal text titled Acts of Paul and Thecla , which represents the earliest and most detailed physical characterization of the apostle in Christian tradition (see also the icon below). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Paul” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Paul,” the second part refers to “apostle” (source )
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
Down below you’ll see an ivory carving that is located in the Musée national du Moyen-âge in Paris from the Byzantine empire of the 6th or early 7th century:
The following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.
“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Spanish uses a formal vs. informal second-person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Spanish Bibles all use only the informal second-person pronoun (tú), with the exception of Dios Habla Hoy (third edition: 1996) which also uses the formal pronoun (usted). In the referenced verses, the formal form is used.
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:39:
Uma: “Paulus answered: ‘I here am a Yahudi, from the town of Tarsus, a town with a big name in the land of Kilikia. Please give me chance to speak to that crowd there.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘I am not,’ Paul said. ‘I am a Yahudi. I was born there in Tarsus, in the land Kilikiya. I am a man from a prominent place. I ask of you, colonel, let me speak to these people.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, a subject of a large city in the province of Silicia, because I was born in Tarsus. I beg you that you permit me to speak to the people.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘It was certainly not I,’ answered Pablo, ‘because as for me, I am a Jew from-Tarsus in the province Cilicia which is a famous (lit. being-newsed) city. There is also that which I would like to tell the people, if it-is-possible.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘Respects to you,’ said Pablo, ‘far from me is what you refer to for I am a Jew, a taga Tarso which is in the district of Cilicia. That place of mine is indeed a famous city. If possible/acceptable to you hopefully, I want to speak to this crowd.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The concept of “requesting” is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-negai (お願い), combining “request” (negai) with the respectful prefix o (お).
Paul’s reply to the commander (literally “but I am a man, a Jew”; see King James Version “I am a man which am a Jew”) is an unusual, but emphatic, way of saying merely I am a Jew (so most translations). Paul makes two emphases: (1) he is a Jew, and (2) he comes from a city outside of Palestine, which would help explain his relationship with the Greeks. Tarsus, the city of Paul’s birth, was an important city noted for its cultural, intellectual, and political significance. Luke literally says that this was a “not insignificant city” (see Phillips), which is translated “no mean city” by King James Version, Revised Standard Version, and New English Bible; what Luke means is that it was an important or a “well-known city” (Jerusalem Bible).
Let me speak to the people may be rendered as “grant me permission so that I may speak to the people.” It may, however, be necessary to use a term such as “mob” or “rioting people” so that it will be perfectly clear that Paul wishes to speak to those who have just tried to kill him.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Paul was not that Egyptian. His answer here indicates that. In some languages it is more natural to add “no.” For example:
Paul said, “No, I am a Jew… (New Century Version)
I am a Jew: The word I is emphasized in the Greek here. For example:
I myself am a Jew
Tarsus in Cilicia:Tarsus was the capital city of the province of Cilicia. It is located in the present day country of Turkey. The Romans had earlier conquered this area and ruled it as one of their provinces at this time. In some languages people are not familiar with these names. For example:
⌊the city of⌋ Tarsus in ⌊the province of⌋ Cilicia
citizen: Paul was a citizen of the city of Tarsus. At this time, people could be citizens of a city as well as be citizens of Rome. Only a minority of the people born or living in a city were citizens. Becoming a citizen required being a land owner, the city leaders granting citizenship, or being born to citizens. Being a citizen gave high social status to that person. Other ways to translate this word are:
officially a member of the city -or-
a person with his name on the city register
In some languages the full meaning will need a footnote. An example footnote is:
At that time, only a minority of the people born or living in a city were citizens. Becoming a citizen required being a land owner, the city leaders granting citizenship, or being born to citizens. Being a citizen gave high social status to that person.
no ordinary city: This phrase in Greek is literally “not an unimportant city.” It emphasizes that Tarsus was an important city. Paul indicated here that Tarsus had status in the Roman world and that he as a citizen also had status. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
no obscure city (English Standard Version) -or-
an important city (New Revised Standard Version) -or-
the well–known city (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
a city of high standing/status
General Comment on 21:39a
Paul told the commander five things here:
(a) He was a Jew,
(b) he was from the city of Tarsus,
(c) Tarsus was in the province of Cilicia,
(d) he was a citizen of Tarsus,
(e) Tarsus was an important city.
You may want to reorder this information in a way that is more natural in your language. You may also need to put some of it in another sentence. For example:
I am a Jew and a citizen of the well–known city of Tarsus in Cilicia (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
I am a Jew. I am also a citizen of ⌊the city of⌋ Tarsus in Cilicia. It/Tarsus is an important city.
21:39b
Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people: The Greek words are literally “I ask you, allow me to speak to the people.” It is a polite request. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I’m asking you to let me talk to the people. (God’s Word) -or-
May I have your permission to speak to the people? (Revised English Bible)
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